Key result
Surgical excision of large cardiac lipomas resolves life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in young adults.
Why the study?
Cardiac lipomas, though usually benign, can cause significant hemodynamic and arrhythmic complications including ventricular tachycardia depending on size, location, and myocardial involvement.
Does surgical resection of cardiac lipomas resolve malignant ventricular arrhythmias in affected patients?
Case Report (n=2)
Does surgical resection of cardiac lipomas resolve malignant ventricular arrhythmias in affected patients?
Large cardiac lipomas can cause life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias via mass effect or coronary encasement, which can be successfully resolved with surgical resection guided by multimodal imaging.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Lipoma resection may abolish refractory VT after arrest; leaves open whether routine imaging improves outcomes in young survivors.
BACKGROUND: Cardiac lipomas are usually benign but can cause significant hemodynamic and arrhythmic complications, such as ventricular tachycardia, depending on size, location, and myocardial involvement. CASE 1 SUMMARY: An 18-year-old man presented with cardiac arrest during exercise. Following a normal coronary angiogram, a defibrillator was implanted. After recurrent shocks, imaging demonstrated a large cardiac lipoma. Surgical excision resulted in cessation of his recurrent ventricular tachycardia. CASE 2 SUMMARY: A 25-year-old woman presented with ventricular tachycardia, and imaging revealed a large cardiac lipoma with coronary artery encasement. Surgical resection led to resolution of ventricular arrhythmias, and permanent defibrillator implantation was avoided. DISCUSSION: These cases highlight how cardiac lipomas can lead to ventricular arrhythmias through mass effect and proximity to the coronary vasculature. Multimodal imaging was indispensable for the diagnosis and surgical planning for these cases. TAKE-HOME MESSAGES: Cardiac lipomas can cause life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. A multimodal imaging approach combined with multidisciplinary team evaluation is essential for accurate diagnosis and management.
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Henriques et al. (2026) conducted a case report in Cardiac lipoma with ventricular arrhythmias (n=2). Surgical excision was evaluated on Resolution of ventricular arrhythmias.
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